Observations:
- follows rules for the sake of following rules (obsessively). Basically, she follows rules because they exist.
- is generally indecisive (she becomes paralyzed by the possibility that she might have made the wrong decision, then has to 'start over' again).
- unwilling to change, very inflexible. she does not believe in 'grey areas' but rather a 'black and white' kinda of world.
- has to meet appointments and deadlines exactly. is very punctual.
- becomes anxious when things are not done by her "standards" or morals (unable to 'bend' rules to suit her purposes)
- feels that she must be responsible for everything (because she cant trust other people to do things "right" ie. her way). She does not like it when people interfere with her plans.
- has to re-do jobs constantly because they arent done to her satisfaction. She also wastes a lot of time preoccupied with smaller details, rather than looking at something holistically.
- her appearance is tidy. She goes to school in a clean cut, ironed outfit and there are no noticeable signs of a lapse in personal hygiene. (she showers frequently, brushes her teeth, etc..)
- she hoards objects (she thinks they might come in useful, in the future). Her possessions are all organized in file boxes, shelves, or other storage containers.
- Her clothes are all neatly hung on clothes hangers, she uses coasters, and vacuums twice a week.
- likes to categorize/label things. (ex: she lists acquaintances, coworkers, not-so-close friends, friends, close friends, people she does not like, etc..)
- she becomes anxious when something does not fit into a category/when something doesnt really belong anywhere.
Diagnosis:
I think the patient has an obsessive compulsive disorder. Obsessive compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder that you repeat certain unreasonable behaviors. The common type of obsessive compulsive disorder is the fear of being contaminated by germs. Therefore, people with this disorder often wash their hands until they are sore. Furthermore, people who are obsessed with thieves lock their doors many times before they actually go to bed. Actions such as washing their hands and locking the doors will provide them at least temporary relief from the fear that they feel.I think the patient has a fear of getting germs, breaking rules and looking at disorganized things. It says that the patient follows rules because they exist and that she is very conservative to any changes. Moreover, she has to clean herself very often because of the fear of getting contaminated by germs. For example, it says that she showers and brushes her teeth frequently. She never shows up dirty in public areas. Lastly, she demonstrates the fear of disorganized materials. It says that her possessions are always organized in file boxes and shelves. Furthermore, her clothes are all neatly hung on clothes hangers and uses the vacuum twice a week. Importantly, she becomes anxious when something does not fit into a category and that she needs organize the things in order to feel a temporary relief.Thus, the patient has an OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).
Treatment:
There are diverse therapies to treat the obsessive compulsive disorder. There are medication, family therapy, group therapy, self-help that may be helpful, but the cognitive-behavioral therapy is known as the most effective therapy. There are two parts for the cognitive-behavioral therapy: exposure and response prevention, and cognitive therapy. Exposure and response prevention is requiring the patient to get exposed to the source of obsession a lot. Then prevent the patient to do their compulsive actions. For example, let your friend see things that are unorganized, but then prevent her from reorganizing them. Then she will eventually realize that things will be okay even though they are not organized. The cognitive therapy helps the patient to think back to their compulsive behaviors and adjust it. For instance, let the patient ask herself why she has any obsessions and what she thinks about her attitude toward them. Through logical reasoning, this may help the patient re-interpret about her obsessiveness and compulsive behaviors. Therefore, the patient will change the way she thinks in the same situation.
Other treatments such as antidepressants may work along with the cognitive-behavioral therapy. Family therapy is also used to reduce family conflicts due to OCD, and encourage the family to help the patient fix his/her disorder. Lastly, group therapy is another treatment where OCD sufferers meet up and encourage each other. This may reduce their feelings of loneliness. However, certainly, CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy) is the most effective way to cure obsessive compulsive disorder.
- follows rules for the sake of following rules (obsessively). Basically, she follows rules because they exist.
- is generally indecisive (she becomes paralyzed by the possibility that she might have made the wrong decision, then has to 'start over' again).
- unwilling to change, very inflexible. she does not believe in 'grey areas' but rather a 'black and white' kinda of world.
- has to meet appointments and deadlines exactly. is very punctual.
- becomes anxious when things are not done by her "standards" or morals (unable to 'bend' rules to suit her purposes)
- feels that she must be responsible for everything (because she cant trust other people to do things "right" ie. her way). She does not like it when people interfere with her plans.
- has to re-do jobs constantly because they arent done to her satisfaction. She also wastes a lot of time preoccupied with smaller details, rather than looking at something holistically.
- her appearance is tidy. She goes to school in a clean cut, ironed outfit and there are no noticeable signs of a lapse in personal hygiene. (she showers frequently, brushes her teeth, etc..)
- she hoards objects (she thinks they might come in useful, in the future). Her possessions are all organized in file boxes, shelves, or other storage containers.
- Her clothes are all neatly hung on clothes hangers, she uses coasters, and vacuums twice a week.
- likes to categorize/label things. (ex: she lists acquaintances, coworkers, not-so-close friends, friends, close friends, people she does not like, etc..)
- she becomes anxious when something does not fit into a category/when something doesnt really belong anywhere.
Diagnosis:
I think the patient has an obsessive compulsive disorder. Obsessive compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder that you repeat certain unreasonable behaviors. The common type of obsessive compulsive disorder is the fear of being contaminated by germs. Therefore, people with this disorder often wash their hands until they are sore. Furthermore, people who are obsessed with thieves lock their doors many times before they actually go to bed. Actions such as washing their hands and locking the doors will provide them at least temporary relief from the fear that they feel.I think the patient has a fear of getting germs, breaking rules and looking at disorganized things. It says that the patient follows rules because they exist and that she is very conservative to any changes. Moreover, she has to clean herself very often because of the fear of getting contaminated by germs. For example, it says that she showers and brushes her teeth frequently. She never shows up dirty in public areas. Lastly, she demonstrates the fear of disorganized materials. It says that her possessions are always organized in file boxes and shelves. Furthermore, her clothes are all neatly hung on clothes hangers and uses the vacuum twice a week. Importantly, she becomes anxious when something does not fit into a category and that she needs organize the things in order to feel a temporary relief.Thus, the patient has an OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).
Treatment:
There are diverse therapies to treat the obsessive compulsive disorder. There are medication, family therapy, group therapy, self-help that may be helpful, but the cognitive-behavioral therapy is known as the most effective therapy. There are two parts for the cognitive-behavioral therapy: exposure and response prevention, and cognitive therapy. Exposure and response prevention is requiring the patient to get exposed to the source of obsession a lot. Then prevent the patient to do their compulsive actions. For example, let your friend see things that are unorganized, but then prevent her from reorganizing them. Then she will eventually realize that things will be okay even though they are not organized. The cognitive therapy helps the patient to think back to their compulsive behaviors and adjust it. For instance, let the patient ask herself why she has any obsessions and what she thinks about her attitude toward them. Through logical reasoning, this may help the patient re-interpret about her obsessiveness and compulsive behaviors. Therefore, the patient will change the way she thinks in the same situation.
Other treatments such as antidepressants may work along with the cognitive-behavioral therapy. Family therapy is also used to reduce family conflicts due to OCD, and encourage the family to help the patient fix his/her disorder. Lastly, group therapy is another treatment where OCD sufferers meet up and encourage each other. This may reduce their feelings of loneliness. However, certainly, CBT (Cognitive behavioral therapy) is the most effective way to cure obsessive compulsive disorder.
Reference